Friday, April 25
Des Moines, IA
All Day
University of Oregon
at
Drake Relays
Photo by: Lily Dozier
Two Wins Friday at Drake Relays
04/25/25 | Track and Field
The UO women won the 1500 meters and 4x800 in Iowa.
EUGENE, Ore. – The Women of Oregon collected two Drake Relays victories Friday in Des Moines, Iowa, with wins at 1500 meters and in the 4x800-meter relay. Earlier in the day, the UO men were runners-up in the distance medley relay at Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
The 4x800 quartet of Ella Nelson, Samantha McDonnell, Mia Barnett and Klaudia Kazmierska turned in a dominant performance, combining for a time of 8:30.12 to clear the field by more than 10 seconds. With the lead well in hand, Kazimierska navigated the final two laps in 2:06.42 to preserve the advantage and secure the win.
Nelson and McDonnell were in their second race of the day after finishing second and fifth, respectively, in the university section of the 800 meters during the afternoon session. Nelson crossed in 2:04.50 while McDonnell clocked a time of 2:07.28.
Juliet Cherubet, stepping down in distance, won the 1500 meters Friday. She stopped the clock in a time of 4:13.11, closing in 64 seconds over the final lap to move from fourth place into the lead and eventual victory. The UO newcomer has already run 15:28.86 for 5,000 meters and 32:02.78 for 10,000 meters in the early stages of the outdoor campaign; both top-four times in program history.
In the first result of the day, the Men of Oregon ran to a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay at Penn Relays. Simeon Birnbaum, Koitatoi Kidali, Matthew Erickson and Rheinhard Harrison combined for a time of 9:26.38, holding off Texas A&M and a hard-charging Virginia for second.
At the final exchange, Oregon and eventual winner Washington—in 9:25.22—trailed Texas A&M by just under two seconds before overtaking the Aggies with about 200 meters remaining. Harrison ran 3:56.48 on his mile. Friday marked a two-spot improvement over the Ducks' fourth-place outing in the DMR last year in Philadelphia.
The same quartet is back on the track Saturday for the 4x800 relay at 11:20 a.m. PT.
Back in Iowa, the Ducks closed out their night with a season-best effort from Katie Clute in the World Athletic Continental Tour section of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The lone collegiate entrant in the fiend, Clute finished in 10:07.83 to shave more than five seconds off her season's best of 10:13.16.
During Thursday night's distance carnival at Drake, junior Kendall Martin established a lifetime best of 10:20.71 and finished second in the open section of the steeplechase. The Indianapolis native carried a previous best of 10:21.72 from last week's Oregon Open.
Along with the men's 4x800 relay at Penn, the Ducks' Relays weekend continues with the Continental Tour sections of the women's 800 meters (Kazimierska) and mile (Barnett, Silan Ayyildiz). The 800 will run at 12:25 p.m. PT followed by the mile at 1:30 p.m.
Friday Results
MEN (at Penn Relays)
Distance Medley Relay
2. Birnbaum/Kidali/Erickson/Harrison – 9:26.38
WOMEN (at Drake Relays)
800 Meters
2. Ella Nelson – 2:04.50
5. Samantha McDonnell – 2:07.28
1500 Meters
1. Juliet Cherubet – 4:13.11
3,000m Steeplechase [WACT]
11. Katie Clute – 10:07.83 (SB)
3,000m Steeplechase [Open, from Thursday]
2. Kendall Martin – 10:20.71 (PB)
4x800m Relay
1. Barnett/Nelson/McDonnell/Kazimierska – 8:30.12
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The 4x800 quartet of Ella Nelson, Samantha McDonnell, Mia Barnett and Klaudia Kazmierska turned in a dominant performance, combining for a time of 8:30.12 to clear the field by more than 10 seconds. With the lead well in hand, Kazimierska navigated the final two laps in 2:06.42 to preserve the advantage and secure the win.
Nelson and McDonnell were in their second race of the day after finishing second and fifth, respectively, in the university section of the 800 meters during the afternoon session. Nelson crossed in 2:04.50 while McDonnell clocked a time of 2:07.28.
Juliet Cherubet, stepping down in distance, won the 1500 meters Friday. She stopped the clock in a time of 4:13.11, closing in 64 seconds over the final lap to move from fourth place into the lead and eventual victory. The UO newcomer has already run 15:28.86 for 5,000 meters and 32:02.78 for 10,000 meters in the early stages of the outdoor campaign; both top-four times in program history.
In the first result of the day, the Men of Oregon ran to a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay at Penn Relays. Simeon Birnbaum, Koitatoi Kidali, Matthew Erickson and Rheinhard Harrison combined for a time of 9:26.38, holding off Texas A&M and a hard-charging Virginia for second.
At the final exchange, Oregon and eventual winner Washington—in 9:25.22—trailed Texas A&M by just under two seconds before overtaking the Aggies with about 200 meters remaining. Harrison ran 3:56.48 on his mile. Friday marked a two-spot improvement over the Ducks' fourth-place outing in the DMR last year in Philadelphia.
The same quartet is back on the track Saturday for the 4x800 relay at 11:20 a.m. PT.
Back in Iowa, the Ducks closed out their night with a season-best effort from Katie Clute in the World Athletic Continental Tour section of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The lone collegiate entrant in the fiend, Clute finished in 10:07.83 to shave more than five seconds off her season's best of 10:13.16.
During Thursday night's distance carnival at Drake, junior Kendall Martin established a lifetime best of 10:20.71 and finished second in the open section of the steeplechase. The Indianapolis native carried a previous best of 10:21.72 from last week's Oregon Open.
Along with the men's 4x800 relay at Penn, the Ducks' Relays weekend continues with the Continental Tour sections of the women's 800 meters (Kazimierska) and mile (Barnett, Silan Ayyildiz). The 800 will run at 12:25 p.m. PT followed by the mile at 1:30 p.m.
Friday Results
MEN (at Penn Relays)
Distance Medley Relay
2. Birnbaum/Kidali/Erickson/Harrison – 9:26.38
WOMEN (at Drake Relays)
800 Meters
2. Ella Nelson – 2:04.50
5. Samantha McDonnell – 2:07.28
1500 Meters
1. Juliet Cherubet – 4:13.11
3,000m Steeplechase [WACT]
11. Katie Clute – 10:07.83 (SB)
3,000m Steeplechase [Open, from Thursday]
2. Kendall Martin – 10:20.71 (PB)
4x800m Relay
1. Barnett/Nelson/McDonnell/Kazimierska – 8:30.12
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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